Broken Silence
by icklemonkey
Summary: Set before the Harry Potter books when Dippet was still Headmaster. Voldemort's forces are alive inside Hogwarts and they're claiming lives!
1. Aboard the Train

Broken Silence  
  
Chapter 1 : Aboard the Train  
  
Two girls sat in the foremost cabin of the train. They spoke in hushed voices and looked up suspiciously whenever they saw a shadow pass the cabin door. They had their wands in their hands, ready to strike at any moment. They pulled their long robes around them to shut out the cold from the broken window. The train rushed through valleys; mountains overshadowing them and every now and then the cabin was plunged into darkness. The girls mimicked each other's moves exactly. A passer by would have thought they were mirror images were it not for the different hair colours. The girl on the left had long flowing auburn hair and the girl on the right had shoulder length blonde hair. The girls seemed to be perfectly still except for their lips which were moving at a very fast pace. A faint squeak grew louder as the snack trolley ran down the corridor of the train. It stopped for a moment as it entered the adjacent cabin. The girls did not look up. The squeak began again and this time it stopped outside the girl's cabin. The door slowly started to open. At the same time the girl on the left and the girl on the right drew their wands. Neither girl looked up but as they pointed their wands towards the slowly opening door the re was a flash of yellow light and a loud bang as the door slammed shut. The girl put their wands back inside their robes and began their hushed discussion again. Very soon the slow squeak of the trolley was heard as it slipped along the corridor, making its way down the train.  
  
In another cabin two boys were plotting their plans for their first prank of the term. "Right so it's agreed. We go to the feast and when Dippet tells us to go off to our dorms we make the Gryffindor table levitate and then turn it upside down on top of all them Gryffindor snobs!" "Sounds great but how are we going to make sure old Dippet don't know it's us?" "Ah! My dear, dear friend. That's where this new thing from Zonko's comes in. Just got it from my owl the other day! It directs people's gaze away from you when you press this button. As long as we have it in our pockets when we cast the spell we can easily cast the spell and not get recognised!" "That is absolutely brilliant! I saw that in their catalogue but I didn't have enough money left after buying all of their brand new exploding toffee. Fed some to them great muggles that look after me! Worked a treat. They were barfing up all over the place." The boys collapsed into laughter. The door opened and the snack trolley came in. They bought a chocolate frog each and a handful of Bertie Botts Every Flavour beans. They didn't want to waste their money. It could be saved to buy more from Zonkos on their first ever school trip to Hogsmeade, something Headmaster Dippet had thought of at the end of last year. In fact the boys had suggested it! The trolley left the boys cabin and made its way further down the train.  
  
It stopped outside the last cabin on the train. Before the door opened two girls could be heard giggling uncontrollably. A man's voice was then heard. He spoke quietly and had a very hoarse voice. He seemed to be giving the girls instructions. The girls still giggled as the voice spoke on. "Go to the dungeons tonight.meet me there.come alone." He seemed to be struggling for breath and his hoarse voice was getting quieter. The last thing that was heard before the door opened was "they are near". At this the door opened and the owner of the hoarse voice shuffled out of the cabin, past the trolley and up the corridor. The cabin was occupied by three girls. Two were still giggling and the remaining girl was sat quietly in the corner. The two giggling girls each bought 3 chocolate frogs, some fizzing whizzbees and a liquorice stick. The girl in the corner slowly shook her head and looked at the floor. A tear was forming in the corner of her eye. The trolley left the cabin and made its way back to the front of the train.  
  
Back at the front of the train the two girls sat with their cloaks around them. The door opened. This time their hands did not reach for their wands, nor did they look up. A dark figure entered the cabin and shut the door behind him. He sat down beside the girl with the auburn hair. He lowered his head and began to speak: "It's all taken care of. She will meet us tonight." His voice was deep and it seemed as though he was suffering from a constant sore throat. The girl with the blonde hair looked towards the boy sat opposite her. She looked him straight in the eye. She stares into his dark green eyes, which seemed to be dark pools with no bottom, before she spoke. "How do you know she will be true to her word?" The words glided off her tongue easily as though they were directed towards a lover of some sort. He looked enraged by this comment, He raised his voice a little but it was still no more than a hoarse whisper. "I know she will come because I know what will happen if she doesn't come." He paused for a moment. "And so does she." The girl with the auburn hair remained quiet. She stared at the floor. She looked to be far away, as if she was dreaming. Suddenly she raised her head and looked into the blonde girl's eyes. The blonde girl knew this signal all to well. She had seen it many times before. It meant he was coming and they were to prepare. Sometimes she felt jealous of her twin. She never made contact with him. It was always her sister. But she had learnt to accept that this was how it happened and she had to prepare. Fire was burning in her twin's eyes and very soon it was burning in her eyes too. The boy sat back. He had seen the twins like this before and he knew not to interfere. He didn't want to lose his voice completely. However, this time when he sat back the girl with the auburn hair grabbed his hand. He felt a sudden rush as power flowed through him. He didn't know what to do. His mind was busy with thoughts. He didn't know whether to pull away or to let whatever was happening happen. Suddenly he heard the voice of the blonde girl. She didn't move her lips and no sound came from her mouth, but clearly he heard her silky voice inside his head. "Be quiet. He is coming. Do not fight it. Let it flow through you." At this the boy fell limp against the seat. The girl with the auburn hair let go of his hand and stared into the blonde girl's eyes. No sound was heard and they seemed to be waiting for something. A cold chill ran through the cabin and through the broken window a small ball of light flew into the cabin. The ball of light hovered in front of the two girls. Slowly a pale face formed in the centre of the ball. It opened its mouth and began to speak.  
  
Elyse felt a slight chill as she sat in the corner of her cabin. Lavender and Chloe sat opposite her. They were also unusually quiet. Normally the girls would have been deep in conversation about the events of that summer. However, today everything seemed different. Elyse was very quiet. In fact she hadn't said a word the whole journey. Chloe had noticed her eyes, red and bloodshot, as though she had been crying, but she didn't want to say anything. Lavender felt strangely tired, she lay back in her seat and closed her eyes. Elyse looked up slowly and saw Lavender asleep and Chloe munching quietly on a Liquorice stick. Elyse curled her knees up to her chest and rested her head on them. She had so much to think about and it was all jumbled up inside her head. She didn't know what was happening to her. The whole of her summer had been spent up in her room. She had poured her feelings, her worries and her deepest secrets into her diary but still none of it made any sense. When she looked up again Chloe had also fallen asleep. Elyse sat back and stared out the window as the scenery rushed past. She tried to clear her mind and think only about the scenery. She pushed away her worries of the arranged meeting she was to attend that night. She pushed out the memory of the figure with the hoarse voice that had brought her the news. She pushed away the memory of what she had seen that caused all the trouble. She finally tried to push away the memory of the expressions on her parent's faces as they waved her off. She knew that this was the way she would always remember them. She knew that after tonight there would be no chance that she could ever see them again. Tonight was going to change everything. Even though it was the hardest thing she had ever done, she pushed away the memory of their faces out of her mind. For a moment her mind was blank and she focused solely on the scenery rushing past and as the clouds formed strange shapes a smile spread across her face. For a moment she was free. As she smiled a bright light filled the window. Her eyes grew wide. The light faded to a transparent ball. She wanted to look away. She wanted to block out whatever was coming next but deep down she knew it was inevitable and her eyes stayed fixed on the transparent ball. Slowly a pale face formed inside the ball. As it did so Elyse's mind once again filled with her worries and she could clearly see the faces of her parents smiling and waving, thinking they would see her again at Christmas. The face was almost white and the eyes were no more that large dark circles. These eyes looked into Elyse's. She felt short of breath. Those eyes were not just looking at her. They were searching her soul, finding every secret. She could hide nothing. She tried to look away but found she couldn't. The eyes seemed to search her forever. Elyse felt very vulnerable. She wanted to hide but she couldn't move. She found her self fixed to the spot where she stood. After what seemed like a lifetime the face began to fade and almost as quickly as it had appeared the ball of light vanished. Elyse's face was white. She sat back in her seat with her head in her hands and she cried. She knew whom the face had belonged to and all too soon the horror of what would happen that night became all too real.  
  
"She has power. You must teach her well. I leave her to you and hope we do not meet again in the near future." The twins watched as the face became a ball of light once more and flew out of the broken window and out into the world. There was silence in the cabin. The boy still lay limp in his seat. The girls looked at each other. The blonde was the first to break the silence. "Do you have what we need?" She knew perfectly well she didn't need to ask. They had performed the act many times before and she was sure would not have let anything slip. However, this time she felt more nervous than usual. "Yes and he will provide the rest." She indicated towards the boy, still limp in his seat. "Wake up." The blonde girl spoke softly and as she spoke the boy sat up and opened his eyes. He looked a little dazed. "You know what you must do?" Again the girl stared into his eyes, She seemed to have some sort of power over the boy and he was helpless to her charms. "I know what I must do and I am ready." The boy then looked down at his hand and nervously played with his fingers. Any strength that may have been present seemed to leave him at that moment. "Then it shall go ahead and she will pay the price." The blonde girl looked to the window as she said this. There seemed to be a note of remorse in her voice. She knew that once the circle was formed there would be no turning back. She felt in some way nervous. She had performed the ceremony several times and this one would surely be no different. Her twin felt the blonde girl's nerves and gently laid a hand in her sister's arm. This simple gesture was her only way of reassuring both her and her sister that everything would run smoothly.  
  
"The look on those Gryffindor's faces when they're covered in their own leftovers! The only food really fit for people like them with their Mudbloods and all." "It will be priceless. Just, we'll be the talk of the Common Room afterwards!" The two boys were still discussing their plans for the end of the great feast that night. The boy on the left, Bryan, was a 3rd year Slytherin. He had short dark brown hair and was very slim. He wasn't good looking though. Far from it. He had, what seemed to be, a permanent boil on the side of his nose and his were no more than narrow slits in his face. The other boy, Lucius, was also a 3rd year Slytherin. He was better looking than Bryan and had a group of giggling 1st years buzzing around him. He sported a crop of blonde hair that made his bright green eyes almost jump out from his face. The two looked very different but, nevertheless, they had become friends in their first year. They had both been sorted straight into Slytherin and were well known among their house for causing trouble for a lot of other students. Now they were planning their first prank of many for the school term ahead of them. They heard a voice shouting up their corridor. "10 MINUTES TO ARRIVAL. BE IN YOUR ROBES AND READY TO DEPART WITH YOUR LUGGAGE READY. THANK YOU." The boys put their plans on hold as they set about readying their trunks. 


	2. The Great Feast

Chapter 2 : The Great Feast  
  
As the twins sat on the left side of the large black horse drawn carriage the small boy sat on the right hand side and looked nervously out of the window. The twins did not speak for the duration of the journey. However, as the castle came ever closer their mood seemed to change. They gave each other what seemed to be nervous glances. The blonde twin breathed deeply as though she were preparing for something. The auburn twin sat back in her seat and closed her eyes. Her lips moved but no sound was coming out. She was going over the part that she would play that night. The boy staring out the window had a saddened expression on his face. He knew the part he had to play. The twins had told him over and over again and they had practised numerous times. However, he felt nervous. He wasn't sure whether it was because this was the first time he would perform the ritual or whether it was because he wasn't sure whether he wanted to be part of the ritual. He knew he had no choice in the matter but he could feel a nervous twinge in the pit of his stomach and he didn't like it. As the carriages crossed the moat and drew into the school he turned to look at the twins who sat stone faced and who looked deeply calmed. He knew he must take on the same expression but he found it difficult with all the anxiety building up inside him. He did not know however, that each twin was trying just as hard as he was to keep their calm expression. Both girls felt somewhat uneasy about that night. They were not sure why but they knew that if something went wrong there would be grave consequences that both of them must face. Before they left the carriage they chanced a look at one another and the moment their eyes made contact they knew that they were both feeling the same thing. They touched each other's hand and stood up and walked out of the carriage. The boy followed.  
  
As Bryan and Lucius got out of their carriage they looked up at the massive castle. This was their 3rd year at Hogwarts and yet it seemed strangely bigger than it had done previous years. "Come on we don't want to be late," said Bryan to Lucius, giving him a small wink. "Yeah, I'm coming," said Lucius impatiently and they made their way towards the stone steps that lead up to the main school doors. As they opened the doors there was a flurry of activity. People were rushing to and fro. Teachers were trying to calm all the students down and usher them all into the Great Hall. On the steps of the main entrance hall there were trunks piled high. Bryan and Lucius dumped their trunks at the bottom of the pile and made their way into the Great Hall. They entered the hall and immediately looked up to the ceiling as they always did. They saw it was an inky black and it looked particularly ferocious. Bryan gave a small shudder, which made Lucius laugh. Lucius enjoyed anything dangerous and daring. That was mostly why he played pranks all the time. He loved the risk of getting found out, which most of the time they did. However, he also played the pranks because he particularly despised the other school houses. He believed that Slytherin was the only house worthy of any respect. He did not associate with people who were not full-blooded witches or wizards and he could not stand muggle borns, which he referred to, often quite loudly, as mudbloods. Bryan was not as strict in choosing his friends and although none of his close friends were halfbloods or muggle born he did not ignore them or shout abuse when they walked past. As the two boys walked along to the Slytherin table Lucius passed scornful looks at the Ravenclaws at the table next to them. Bryan walked quickly as if he were embarrassed but once they had both taken their seats at the Slytherin table they began a heated discussion about how the Ravenclaws deserved to be flattened in the coming Quidditch. This then directed their attention towards the Gryffindors who had won the Quidditch cup last year. "A bunch of filthy mudbloods the lot o' them. Don't deserve to be any where near a broom in the first place." Lucius seemed to have a particular hatred for the Gryffindor table and Bryan nodded in agreement. "Yes. I agree. Nowhere near a broom." Their attention was then distracted once again by three passing Hufflepuffs deep in conversation. Bryan opened his mouth to pass a scornful remark but Lucius raised his hand to shut Bryan up before he started. Lucius was looking intently at the three Hufflepuffs who had just entered. There were two twin girls who resembled each other in every which way except for their hair colour. The boy that followed them was skinny and he looked worried. As they took their seats at the Hufflepuff table Lucius turned to Bryan and began speaking about their plan to disrupt the Gryffindors meal. "Have you got it?" Lucius asked in a hushed voice. As he asked he glanced towards Bryan's pocket. "Yes of course I've got it! I'm not about to forget the most important thing am I!" However, as Bryan said this Lucius saw him feel in his pocket just to be sure.  
  
As Elyse was sat at the table full of Gryffindors she looked nervously around. She could see her other friends laughing and catching up on what had happened over the holidays. Chloe and Lavender were sat next to her and they were speaking rapidly to two other Gryffindors that Elyse hadn't seen before. Elyse sat alone at the end of the Gryffindor table and hoped that the first years would hurry up. She could bear the suspense growing inside her no longer. She wanted to shout out, she wanted to hit something, but most of all she wanted to feel her mother's loving arms around her one last time. She was facing the Hufflepuff table and over a small brunette Gryffindor she could see the three faces she dreaded seeing. She saw the twins smiling and laughing with one another. She saw the boy, sat next to them, speaking loudly to the boy next to him. They were discussing how Hufflepuff were bound to win the house cup this year after having come so close last time. Elyse was amazed at how calm they seemed. But then, she thought, they were used to this. They didn't even know her. They didn't know her family. They were just doing what they were told and Elyse found herself thinking that they enjoyed it. She could not take her eyes off them. As she watched the Hufflepuff table chatting animatedly she felt a cold chill rise up her back and she snapped around quickly. She found only the grinning face of Nearly Headless Nick. Normally she would have engaged Nick in conversation about her holidays, but she had nothing to tell and she definitely did not feel in the mood to talk. "Well hello there! Did you have a good holiday? Been awful cold up in the castle, not that I feel the cold." He laughed gently but when he saw Elyse was not laughing he drifted down the table and turned his attention to a group who seemed intent on making as much noise as they could. Elyse wondered what it was like to be a ghost. She would have asked Nick but she felt in no mood to converse with anyone. She turned back to the Hufflepuff table. The twins were still discussing something with a group of girls next to them. Elyse did not know the twins. She hah seen them around Hogwarts but it was only last year that she had found out exactly who they were. At that moment a loud bang silenced the whole hall. The entrance doors had swung open and in walked the latest batch of Hogwarts first years. They were lead to the top table where Professor Dippet greeted them and the sorting ceremony began. The tired looking hat was sat on top of a small wooden stool as always. The rip in the front of the hat opened and it began to sing its song that it had created for this years first years.  
  
Yes I know that I am old  
  
But so are you if the truth be told.  
Do not judge by how I look  
I shall outwit the largest book.  
I was created by the founding four  
To sort young students, how they had done before.  
Godric Gryffindor took the brave and the bold  
The students there wear red and gold.  
Rowena Ravenclaw chose next and took the brains  
The blue and white on their robe remains  
Salazar Slytherin wanted only those of pure blood  
Those bearing silver and green are misunderstood.  
Helga Hufflepuff took the rest under her wing,  
Their yellow and black have made many a king.  
And now the founders are no more and so it's up to me  
To place students where I see fit and keep their company.  
  
The hat fell silent upon the stool and the first student was called up to be sorted. Nervously a small boy walked up and sat on the stool. A tall witch placed the hat on his head and after a few moments the hat called out "RAVENCLAW". The Ravenclaw table cheered as the boy went to sit at their table. This carried on until there were no more students to be sorted. Professor Dippet then stood up. He addressed the school. "Welcome back to Hogwarts. For those of you in your first year I hop that you will have a pleasant stay. For those of you returning I hope that you make your stay pleasant. This year Hogsmeade visits will be permitted on set dates to all those in 3rd year and above who have completed permission slips from their parents. Ogg, the groundskeeper, has asked me to remind you that the Forbidden Forest is out of bounds to all pupils. Mr.Filch will once again be taking on the post of caretaker and he shall stand for no nonsense. Thank you and now all that there is left to say is Eat up!" At this the tables became full with the most delicious looking food many of the first years had ever seen. Everyone tucked in hungrily.  
  
At the Hufflepuff table the twins were speaking to each other, no longer in hushed whispers afraid that someone might hear them, but openly. They were not discussing, however, their plans for that night. Instead they were talking happily about their holidays that they had spent in Norway. Many Hufflepuffs were listening in and there came many "oooo"s and "ahhhhh"s as the twins described the Fjords and the beautiful landscapes that they had seen. The boy was sat next to them but he was engaged in his own conversation with the group. They had moved on to the topic of Quidditch and were discussing their favourite teams. They all looked content and as if everything was perfectly normal. The twins knew that everything was not normal though. They had prepared for this date for a long time and nothing was going to stop it going ahead. However, as they described the Fjords they caught each other's eye and for a slight moment a look of concern passed over the auburn girl's face. As soon as this moment was over they were back to speaking joyfully about their holiday but that one moment had made both girls on edge. They were on their guard for anything strange that might disrupt that night's proceedings.  
  
Over at the Slytherin table Lucius and Bryan had finished their roast beef and potatoes and they were watching the Gryffindor table closely. The Slytherins were all in on the joke. It had been passed down the table and soon everyone was either watching the Gryffindor table or casting nervous glances at Lucius and Bryan. They were well known for their tricks but they had never done a trick this big in front of the headmaster. They hoped that the gadget from Zonko's would do the trick and they knew they had to act fast before any of the Slytherins made it too obvious. Lucius looked up at the top table. Professor Dippet was in deep conversation with Professor Dumbledore. The rest of the teachers were either concentrating on their food or chatting gaily to one another. Lucius decided that this was the time to act. He gave Bryan the nod and they both pulled out their wands. Many of the Slytherins stopped eating and stared at the Gryffindor table. Bryan reached into his pocket and pressed the button that would buy them the precious few moments they needed. He nodded towards Lucius and together they whispered "Wingardium Leviosa". A puff of white smoke flew from both their wands and headed straight for the Gryffindor table.  
  
As Elyse sat picking at her potatoes she felt a small draft past her ear. She turned to find no one there but as she turned back she saw the Gryffindor table rising quickly into the air. Many of the Gryffindors were screaming but most were sat still watching the table rise in total disbelief. As the table rose higher more people turned to watch. Very soon the whole hall including the teachers were watching the great table rise. Professor Dippet pulled out his wand but as soon as he did the table turned upside down very suddenly scattering the entire contents over the amazed Gryffindors and a few of the nearby Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws. Screaming erupted around the hall. Panicked screams came from the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables, as they were sure that their table would rise up next. Gryffindors ran around screaming as gravy dripped down their foreheads and mashed potato landed on their heads. Screams of laughter came from the Slytherin table but amongst all the other screams no one seemed to notice. With the table still hovering upside down in the air Professor Dumbledore was the one who returned order by slamming his wand on the table three times and therefore quietening every one in the room. Everyone stopped, stunned. They all turned towards the to table where Professor Dippet once again addressed them. "Thank you professor Dumbledore. I am much obliged. Now then if you would all please remain calm and take a seat I will give you back the ability to speak." He waved his wand and a wave of sighs spread across the room. "It is quite obvious that someone has been up to mischief here and I shall get to the bottom of it but for now, of you would all like to follow your prefects back to your Common Rooms I shall have the feast sent up for you all to finish and enjoy." This was followed by a stunned silence before a Ravenclaw prefect shouted "This way Ravenclaws". After this the hall once again became busy as everyone rushed to get out before another table ran amok.  
  
Lucius and Bryan walked back to the Slytherin Common Room surrounded by hushed congratulations and sly pats on the back. A smile spread across both their faces. They had done it and they hadn't been found out. Once they got back to the Common Room cheers erupted around them and a long party followed.  
  
The Gryffindors were not so joyful as they trudged back to their Common Room. Many of the first years were trying to hold back tears as they swept carrots and peas out their hair. At the very back of the group Elyse trudged along after them, wiping the mashed potato off her face and trying her best to brush the gravy from her robes. She found herself wondering if her day could get any worse. She stopped for a moment and looked towards the group of Hufflepuffs going to their Common Room. She spied the twins and suddenly she knew that her day was going to get a lot worse than a bit of mashed potato. 


End file.
